by Cheryl, Gulf Coast Poet

Harvest & Heritage

Photo by Zefong Li from Unsplash.
Hayride. Photo by Randy Fath from Unsplash.

Harvest & Heritage

How warmly now the summer sun does shine

on bees at work in clover fields so fair!

Sweet ripened fruit hangs heavy on the vine.

Perfume of roses lingers in the air.

How softly ripples wheat in summer breeze!

Bright roadside flowers nourish butterflies.

In orchards, apples ripen on the trees.

Abundant food the garden plot supplies.

As birds fly south, the leaves turn red and gold.

In autumn, nature’s bounties harvesting,

we labor to prepare for winter’s cold

and save some seeds for planting in the spring.

At harvest, we give thanks for all good things:

our life and strength and gifts that nature brings.

Photo by Max Gorin from Unsplash.
Photo by Marek Studinsky from Unsplash.
Photo by Jakob Owens from Unsplash.

Restoring Our Connection to Nature

Hydrophonic gardening on a balcony. Photo by Lettuce Grow from Unsplash.

On small family farms like the dairy farm where my mother grew up and in home gardens that were the pride of my grandmother and my father, there is a profound connection to nature. People work in cooperation with nature to provide for themselves and their families.

In the time of large corporate farms, most people do not live on small family farms and raise all of the food they eat. Many people may have lost the connection to the land and to the changing seasons.

Whatever our work, wherever we live, we are a part of the cycles of nature. We can help to preserve and renew the environment. We may not be able to do everything, but there are things each one of us can do to renew our connection to the natural world.

Copyright© 2022 by Cheryl Batavia

Photo by Megan Lee from Unsplash.

Happy Thanksgiving to All My Fellow Bloggers!

After this week, I plan to take a couple of months off in order to regroup and focus on some long-deferred projects. Happy holidays to everyone!

81 Comments

  2. Yourpost makes me live again my youth wheI lived excactly what you dsecribe , Cheryl ( excepted the grape wine not growing ibn mmy area of northern France ).
    When whe were just married Janine and me we helped a late uncle to carry his weat on a cart hauled by horses to take it to the barn.
    Thank you to make alo=ive those memories in me.
    Love ❤
    Michel

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    1. Michel, Your beautiful comment makes my day! Thank you so much for sharing your experiences on your uncle’s farm. It means a lot to me. You and Janine take good care of each other, and drink a toast to fond memories!
      Love ❤
      Cheryl

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    1. Thank you so much for your kind response, Wynne. ❤ I know you will make beautiful Thanksgiving memories with your children. Thanksgiving is such a meaningful holiday! Both the Christian and Jewish members of our family used to celebrate together at our house when my children were young.

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  10. You have very well described the connection we have with nature as we move from one season to another. A beautiful poem and equally beautiful are your pictures, Cheryl. Happy Thanksgiving! My best wishes for your plans 👍💗💐

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  11. Happy Thanksgiving, Cheryl, and thank you for your beautiful post. November is the month for gratitude and your lovely poem reflects the beauty of the season and the holidays. Enjoy your time off and best wishes for your plans. 💖

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  12. Thank you for these beautiful reminders of how much we have to be thankful for! I’ve always wanted to live on a small farm. (The older I get, the smaller I imagine that farm to be.) One thing that brings me closer, is shopping at the local farmer’s market on Saturdays.

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    1. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, JoAnna. I used to take my mother, who had Alzheimer’s, to a wonderful farmers market when I lived in Sarasota. We fed the animals and bought ice cream, old-time candies, fresh produce, pumpkins, and flowers. Mom relived growing up on a Pennsylvania dairy farm. Thanksgiving is a lovely holiday with many memories. Enjoy! ❤

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  13. What a delightful and beautiful poem dear Cheryl and your photos are so awesome too. I love the color and the hydroponic gardening on the balcony. I feel the warmth of your words and the promise of hope as we rise to meet each day… thank you my friend.

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  16. Very inviting poem. How times have changed. Makes me yearn for rural living!

    I hope you have a good couple of months off and I look forward to reading more of your writing when you return. Stay safe, Lawrence.

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  21. Beautiful poem and message, Cheryl. 💗
    As a winter person, I always admire it and love it more than any other season. However, I understand that every season & colour of nature is beautiful. All we need is to accept and adapt to the cycle of nature.
    You’re right we have lost the connection to our lands and nature. Sometimes I feel like I should find a way to rural living and get that peace and tranquillity.

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    1. Thank you for reading and commenting. We do have changes of seasons here, but the signs are much more subtle. I enjoyed the colored leaves and snow when I lived in Virginia, but I don’t miss the cold. I moved to the East coast of Florida in 1995 and retired to the West coast in 2011. Hope you had a good Thanksgiving! 🙂

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  30. So much warmth in the poetry itself and the images attached to it look beautiful. So much important is agriculture and many of us are forgetting the need of it. This is a great message to all. Thank you for sharing this, Cheryl 🙂

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      1. Thank you for your kind comment, Kritika. So happy that you enjoyed the post. 🙂

        We are OK. We were without internet, TV, and house phones for twelve days after the hurricane, and again recently for about a week, but thankfully, it is back on.

        We discovered some hidden damage from the hurricane and are getting quotes for a new roof and some repairs. Insurance will cover the work. My daughters were coming for Thanksgiving, but we postponed their visit because of red tide at the beach. Hope it’s better by spring! If you have time, take a look at “Surviving Hurricane Ian, posted 10/1.

        I often think of you and hope you are doing well and enjoying your work. I am happy to read some lovely poems from you lately. All the best! ❤ ❤

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      2. Natural disasters are terrifying. Its good that your daughters postponed the visit.
        The red tide, I know about it. You have told me once. They occur often. Would surely look at ‘Surviving Hurricane Ian’.
        Hope you guys are getting all the help. Its great that insurance will cover it.

        Thank you for sharing with me these events. I have been engrossed in setting up, sessions, improving myself. I somehow have started writing because I can’t get away with what I started which gives me a different level of peace.

        Thank you so much Cheryl for being a part of my life. Means a great deal to me. I adore you and your words. (hugs)

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    2. Thank you for your kind comments, Kritika. You know you will always be special to me for getting me started in blogging. It was a huge comfort to me during the isolation of the pandemic and has enriched my life. As always, I am happy for you, your accomplishments, and your successes. All the best! Much love! ❤ ❤ ❤

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